amice

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

n. Ecclesiastical A liturgical vestment consisting of an oblong piece of white linen worn around the neck and shoulders and partly under the alb.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

n. A hood, or cape with a hood, made of or lined with grey fur, formerly worn by the clergy.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

n. A square of white linen worn at first on the head, but now about the neck and shoulders, by priests of the Roman Catholic Church while saying Mass.

n. A hood, or cape with a hood, made of lined with gray fur, formerly worn by the clergy; -- written also amess, amyss, and almuce.

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

n. . A loose wrap or cloak.

n. In the Roman Catholic Church and in many Anglican churches, an oblong piece of linen, large enough to cover the shoulders, worn with the upper edge fastened round the neck, under the alb, whenever the latter vestment is used.

n. Also written amict.

n. A furred hood having long ends hanging down the front of the dress, something like the stole, worn by the clergy from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century for warmth when officiating in the church during inclement weather.

Etymologies

Middle English, probably from Old French amis, pl. of amit, from Latin amictus, mantle, from past participle of amicīre, to wrap around : am-, ambi-, around; see ambi- + iacere, to throw; see yē- in Indo-European roots.

(American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

The Passions are sung by three deacons, dressed in amice, alb, cincture, maniple and diaconal stole; they are not the major ministers of the Mass itself.

In addition to the amice, alb, cincture and stole, the priest wears a black chasuble; the deacon wears a black stole, and, like the subdeacon, a black folded chasuble, the sacred vestments of penitential Masses.

At the beginning of the rite, the three major ministers wear amice, alb, and cincture; the priest and deacon also wear black stoles, but none of the three wears either a chasuble of any sort, nor a dalmatic or tunicle.